Irvine(Perfect Travel Today)12/16/16/–Residents, media and guests were invited to attend the penthouse-hosted exclusive, inaugural event “Art at the Park” at the stunning Astoria at Central Park West coastal living apartment community in Irvine, CA. The over 3,000 square foot luxury high-rise penthouse with its panoramic view of the city and sea set the tone for an evening of live classical music and great art perusal, enjoyment, and purchase.

General Manager of Astoria at Central Park West, Ed Pajarito greeted guests stating “We are delighted and honored to co-host such a unique event that shines a light on the extraordinary talents of our local artists, as well as the needs of our community. This is an aesthetically refreshing venue and rare opportunity to build on existing awareness and appreciation of fine art locally. A private showing in a luxurious penthouse suite overlooking land and sea – as well as sumptuous hors d’oeuvres, drinks and live music – will provide a truly intimate setting and a chance for patrons of the arts, including current Astoria residents, to meet the artists, each of whom has invested more than four decades into a body of work prized and collected worldwide.”

Upon entering the penthouse, clientele were welcomed with champagne, red/white wines and a number of other tantalizing libations to enjoy as they began the tour of three of Southern California’s internationally acclaimed and award-winning artists, Lorraine Passero, Alan Abraham, and Jon Seeman.

LORRAINE PASSERO:

Lorraine Passero is a watercolor painter and designer from Laguna Beach who specializes in ocean and beach scenes. On exhibit were her Bling Sea Shell Collection and several acrylic paintings. Her work has been featured in magazines and designer showcases worldwide.

I was fortunate enough to be able to chat with Lorraine for a few minutes about several pieces on which she and her artist-husband, Jon Seeman collaborated. Two pieces that were of particular interest to me were the painting of an octopus and the painting of a full-scale fish. These paintings were executed in a creative and unique style. Lorraine and Jon had secured a once alive octopus, coated the (now dead) Mollusca with black paint, and pressed its body onto paper. In order to achieve the dimension and curvature of the octopus, Lorraine and Jon carefully rotated the body into several positions and pressed the image after each rotation onto different pieces of paper. The images were carefully cut out and reassembled to produce a very convincingly, realistic octopus. The collaborative couple repeated the process with a once alive/now dead fish with equally impressive results.

JON SEEMAN:

Laguna Beach, fourth generation artist and sculptor, Jon Seeman’s amazing art has been featured at the Contemporary Art Gallery, Museum of Art, the Laguna Beach Arts Festival, and other locations in Laguna Beach. At the risk of showing my personal bias in favor of modern and abstract designs, and seeing them rendered in steel was indeed exciting. Jon very graciously told me about his long association with art and shared the processes he has developed over time to produce heavy steel sculptures that appear to float in space, inspiring a graceful sense of motion. Each piece of the 5’ to 6’ sculptures required that they be precisely cut and formed. After all of the forms were completed, Jon hoisted them into place and welded them into well-balanced, dynamic compositions. The finished sculptures may be displayed indoors as well as outdoors.

ALAN M. ABRAHAM:

The multi-talented Irvine, CA resident, Alan Abraham is an acclaimed watercolor painter/designer, illustrator and calligrapher and has been in the motion picture industry for more than 20 years. Although I did not get the opportunity to speak with Alan, his work eloquently spoke for itself. The Chinese Zodiac Animal Series TWELVE: Sheng Xiao is based on a twelve-year cycle in which each cycle is represented by one of the following animal symbols: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog or Pig. Many Chinese people believe that their marriage, business, good fortune and health could be adversely affected if they do not adhere to the principles associated with their birth sign. They believe the color red brings them good luck.

Original art by Alan M. Abraham, copyright 2015, 2016

Click on the link below to view more of Alan’s Zodiac and calligraphy art.

Before the evening was over we were invited to tour several other opulent penthouses in the building. The Astoria at Central Park West won Readers’ Choice for Best Apartment Complex in Orange County, awarded by OC Weekly. The Astoria (401 Rockefeller, Irvine, CA 92612) features 240 luxury residences with 24-hour concierge and complimentary valet service for residents and their guests. Astoria offers virtually every amenity found in a luxury hotel. One and two bedroom apartments range from 1,119 sq. ft. to 1,772 sq. Ft.